Beverage can top with tear-out closure retainer



Jan. 7, 1969 SUNG woe CHUN 3,420,398

BEVERAGE CAN TOP WITH TEAR-OUT CLOSURE RETAINER Filed Feb. 1, 1968 Z0 /4 Fzai. 24

INI/EA/TOR G 1 1/00 CHu/v BY H/S ATTORA/Eys HARE/5, K/ECH, P4155544 6c KEEN United States Patent "ice 3,420,398 BEVERAGE CAN TOP WITH TEAR-OUT CLOSURE RETAINER Sung Woo Chun, 1136 N. Mariposa Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90029 Filed Feb. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 702,234 US. Cl. 220-54 5 Claims Int. Cl. B65d 17/20 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A beverage can having a top provided with a tear-out closure which is attached to the can top by an elongated retainer within the can to prevent complete detachment of the closure from the can top. The retainer is so located and is long enough that the closure can be displaced to one side of the opening formed by its removal so that such opening can be used for pouring, or for drinking directly from the can.

Background of invention In the past few years, beverage cans with tear-out closures have come into widespread use. The top of such a can, which is usually cylindrical, is weakened along an endless loop extending from a point adjacent the center of the can top to a point adjacent one edge thereof, the weakening ordinarily being accomplished by scoring the can top along the desired loop. Thus, the portion of the can top within the scored loop forms a closure which is capable of being torn out manually to provide a pouring or drinking opening in the can top. A manually graspable pull tab is attached to the closure, usually adjacent the end of the closure which is nearest the center of the can, to permit tearing the closure from the can top.

Beverage cans of the foreging general character are a great convenience since they completely eliminate the need for can openers. Consequently, they have come into extremely widespread use, to the extent of virtually replacing conventional cans requiring can openers.

However, beverage cans of this nature have created a serious problem in that beaches, parks, playgrounds, golf courses, and the like, are becoming littered with the tearout closures and their attached pull tabs. Apparently, people regard the tear-out closures and attached pull tabs as objects too small and insignificant to warrant the effort of depositing them in trash receptacles, even though these same people will make the effort required to deposit the cans themselves in trash receptacles.

These tear-out closures and attached pull tabs which people are carelessly or unthinkin-gly depositing everywhere create not only an unsightly litter problem, but they also constitute a serious hazard to persons walking barefooted on beaches, in parks, and the like. Children especially are cutting their feet on the relatively sharp edges of the tear-out closures With increasing frequency. The problem is compounded by the fact that these objects are commonly made of aluminum alloys and thus last for many years without oxidizing. These characteristic also aggravates the litter problem since the tear-out closures remain shiny, and thus conspicuous, for long periods of time.

Attempts have been made to alleviate the problem by making it impossible to completely detach the tear-out closures from the cans, examples being found in Quimby et a1. Patent No. 3,269,586 and in Smyth Patent No. 3,327,891. However, both of these patents require radical departures from conventional cans having tops provided with tear-out closures. In Quimby et al., the tear-out closure is connected to a member which constitutes 'a handle for the can. In Smyth, the can top is weakened 3,420,398 Patented Jan. 7, 1969 along only part of a complete loop so that the tear-out closure remains integrally attached to the can top at one end. Both of these patents thus suffer from the disadvantage of requiring complete departures from existing and commercially accepted can constructions.

Summary and objects of invention With the foregoing as background, it is a primary object of the invention to provide means for preventing complete detachment of the tear-out closure, and its attached pull tab, from the can top, without in any way altering the basic structure of the tear-out closure and its pull tab.

More particularly, an important object of the invention is to permanently connect the tear-out closure to the can top adjacent the closure by means of a retainer connected at one end to the closure and at its other end to the can top at a point spaced from the closure.

Another object is to provide a retainer of the foregoing nature having a construction such that the tear-out closure and its pull tab can be positioned in a location spaced from the pouring or drinking opening so that they do not interfere with pouring from the can, or drinking directly therefrom.

Another object is to provide the retainer with a loop therein which permits sufficient elongation of the retainer to enable the closure and its pull tab to be positioned fiat against the can top adjacent the edge thereof opposite the pouring or drinking edge.

Another and important object of the invention is to locate the retainer within the can, and to attach it to the under sides of the closure and the body of the can top, so that it is completely concealed and out of the way prior to opening of the can.

A further and also important object of the invention is to attach the retainer to the closure and the body of the can top in very simple ways adding only insignificantly to the cost of manufacturing the can top.

An object in connection with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention is to simply bond the retainer to the closure and the body of the can top, as by Welding or soldering, as by means of adhesives compatible with the contents of the can, and the like.

An object in connection with another embodiment of the invention is to rivet the ends of the retainer to the closure and to the body of the can top, preferably by upsetting or staking portions of the closure and the can top body to form rivets in the same manner that a portion of the closure is now upset or staked to form a rivet for attaching the pull tab.

Another object is to form the retainer with a loop which permits attaching the retainer at convenient points, and which provides for sufficient elongation of the retainer to permit placing the tear-out closure and its pull tab in a location remote from the pouring or drinking opening.

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the present invention, together with various other objects, advantages, features and results thereof which will be evident to those skilled in the beverage can art in the light of this disclosure, may be achieved with the exemplary embodiments of the invention described in detail hereinafter and illustrated in' the accompanying drawing.

Description of drawing In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a beverage can embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowed line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowed line 3-3 of FIG. I;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing a tearout closure and attached pull tab held in a location spaced from a pulling or drinking opening by a retainer of the invention; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views respectively similar to FIGS. 2 and 3, but showing an alternative embodiment of the retainer of the invention.

Detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention In the drawing, the numeral 10 designates a conventional beverage can of the type used for soft drinks, beer, and the like. The can 10 is cylindrical and includes a circular top 12 which is weakened, as by scoring, along a closed or endless loop 14 to provide a closure 16 capable of being torn out to provide a pouring or drinking opening 18, FIG. 4. In the particular conventional construction illustrated, the tear-out closure 16 extends radially from a point adjacent the center of the can top 12 to a point adjacent one edge 20 thereof. The ends of the closure 16 are arcuate and the width of the closure increases radially toward the edge 20 of the can top 12. A pull tab 22 is secured to the closure 16 adjacent the end thereof nearest the center of the can top 12. Preferably, the pull tab 22 is secured by means of a rivet 24 formed by upsetting or staking and then heading a part of the portion of the can top 12 which forms the closure 16. The particular pull tab 22 shown includes a loop 26 capable of receiving one of the index fingers of the person opening the can 10.

As is well known, the can 10 is opened by first pulling upwardly on the tab 22 to tear the inner end of the closure 16 free .from the body of the can top 12. This results in doubling the inner end of the closure 16 back on itself, as suggested in FIG. 4. Then, the tab 22 is pulled radially outwardly toward the edge 20 of the can top 12 until the closure 16 is torn completely free from the body of the can top.

The can 10 is merely one possible conventional can with which the present invention may be used. It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the particular can shown, but that it may be employed with any can provided with a tear-out closure capable of being torn completely free by means of a suitable pull tab, or other graspable means, attached thereto.

Considering FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawing, the present invention comprises simply an elongated retainer 30 disposed within the can 10 and adapted to prevent complete detachment of the closure 16 from the body of the can top 12. The retainer 30 is attached to the underside of the closure 16 at one end, and is attached at its other end to the underside of the body of the can top at a point spaced from the closure. Preferably, the retainer 30 is attached to the closure 16 adjacent the outer end thereof, i.e., adjacent the edge 20 of the can top 12, and is preferably attached to the underside of the body of the can top at a point between the center of the can top and the opposite edge thereof.

In the particular embodiment under consideration, the retainer 30 comprises simply a length of wire bonded to the undersides of the closure 16 and the body of the can top 12. Such bonding may be effected by soldering or welding, or by the use of any suitable adhesive having adequate strength and which is compatible with the contents of the can 10. The length of wire forming the retainer 30 is provided therein with a loop 32 permitting sufiicient elongation of the retainer to allow the closure 16 and its pull tab 22 to be positioned remotely from the pouring or drinking opening 18 after the closure has been torn free from the body of the can top 12.

In use, the can 10 is opened in the conventional manner, as hereinbefore outlined. After the closure 16 has been torn free from the body of the can top 12, it remains attached to the body of the can top by the retainer 30. The opening operation straightens the loop 32 in the retainer 30 to provide the latter with suificient length to space the closure 16 and its pull tab 22 well away from the pouring or drinking opening 18. As shown in FIG. 4, the retainer 30 may be doubled back on itself above the body of the can top 12 to locate the closure 16 and its pull tab 22 in a position overlying the edge of the can top 12 opposite the edge 20 thereof, the doubled portion of the retainer 30 extending upwardly through the opening 18 at the inner end thereof. Alternatively, if desired, the closure 16 and its pull tab 22, together with the adjacent portion of the retainer 30, may be pressed downwardly fiat against the body of the can top, as suggested by the phantom position 34 in FIG. 4 of the drawing.

It will be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular length shown for the retainer 30. If desired, the retainer 30 may be made sufficiently longer to permit dangling the closure 16 and its pull tab 22 downwardly alongside the body of the can 10.

FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawing illustrate an alternative embodiment of the invention utilizing a retainer 40 in the form of a flat strip of metal, lastic, or other suitable material, secured to the undersides of the closure 16 and the body of the can top 12 by integral rivets 42 and 44 similar to the integral rivet 24 for securing the pull tab 22 to the closure 16. The rivets 42 and 44 can be formed by upsetting or striking, and then heading, in the same manner as the rivet 24. The retainer 40 is provided with an S-shaped loop 46 therein for the same purpose as the loop 32 in the retainer 30.

The retainer 40 operates in the same manner as the retainer 30 so that a detailed description is not necessary.

It will be noted that either the retainer 30 or the retainer 40 may be applied to the can top 12 without in any way changing the basic construction thereof, and without in any way affecting the normal manner of tearing out the closure 16, which are important features of the invention. It will also be apparent that the retainer 30 or the retainer 40 can be attached to the can top 12 very simply during the manufacture of the can top, and with a minimum number of additional manufacturing operations. Thus, the retainer 30 or the retainer 40 can be applied to the can top 12 at very little additional expense. Further, since the retainer 30 or the retainer 40 is attached solely to the can top 12, and not to any other part of the can 10, any additional expense involved in its use is further minimized.

Although exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that various changes, modifications, and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims appearing in the next section of this specification.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a can having a wall weakened along an endless loop to provide a closure capable of being torn out to provide an opening in said wall:

(a) an elongated retainer for preventing complete detachment of the closure from said Wall;

(b) means connecting one end of said retainer to the closure; and

(0) means connecting the other end of said retainer to said wall at a point spaced from the closure.

2. In combination with a can having a circular top weakened along an endless loop top rovide a closure capable of being torn out to provide an opening in the can top:

(a) an elongated retainer for preventing complete detachment of the closure from the can top;

(b) means connecting one end of said retainer to the closure; and

(c) means connecting the other end of said retainer to the can top at a point spaced from the closure.

5 6 3. A combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said closure adjacent said one edge of the can top; and retainer is located inside the can. (d) said other end of said retainer is connected to the 4. A combination according to claim 3 wherein said can top between the center of the can top and the retainer is provided with a loop therein providing for opposite edge thereof. elongation of said retainer after the closure is torn from 5 the can top, whereby the closure may be positioned in a efe ences Cited location spaced from the Opening in the can top formed UNITED STATES PATENTS by tearing the closure from the can top.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein: 1,301,676 4/ 1919 Fltzgerald 220-385 (a) the endless loop forming the tear-out closure ex- 10 3,327,891 5/1967 Smyth 22054 tends radially of the can top from a point adjacent 3,373,895 3/ 1968 Arfeft at}? center thereof to a point ad acent one edge there THER ON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

(b) a pull tab is connected to the closure externally GEORGE T, HALL, Assista t Examiner,

of the can and adjacent the end of the closure near- 15 est the center of the can top; US. Cl. X.R. (c) said one end of said retainer is connected to the 22038.5 

